The Farm

Season 9

Episode 917

Air Date 03/14/13

TV-14

Dressed in traditional Schrute family mourning clothes, Dwight arrives at the office to announce that his Aunt Shirley has died. He's holding two pails, each filled with a different type of soil. As is his family custom, he will invite or not invite his individual co-workers to the coming funeral by sprinkling soil on them. Everyone is sprinkled with the black dirt (indicating not invited) except Oscar, whom Dwight invites out of spite.

Dwight, Zeke, Mose, Oscar and others assemble at the family's cemetery plot. Dwight's brother Jeb pulls up in a shiny red Mustang convertible and immediately drives his car into the grave. Dwight and Jeb hug and then wrestle, a token of brotherly affection.

Todd Packer stops by the office, much to the dismay of those who know him. He announces that he's now in a 12-step program for both drugs and alcohol; he's come to apologize and make amends. Kevin is first to forgive him, hoping to get the whole thing over quickly, but Todd explains there's a certain way in which he needs to atone. He starts by apologizing to Pam's breasts, then moves on to Phyllis, Stanley, Kevin. But his "apologies" are insulting and Pam calls him on it. Todd moves on to his next step, handing out gifts of cupcakes. Everyone's excited, but Pam insists that before they forgive Todd, they should all meet in the conference room to discuss it.

At the funeral, Dwight's sister Fannie arrives with her son. The family members and neighbors take turns speaking, each recalling a single, specific detail about Shirley, such as her height or hair color. A neighbor, Henry, pulls up. His five daughters ride in the bed of the truck. One, Esther, catches Dwight's eye. They flirt. The preacher hands Dwight a shotgun to carry out the next ritual: making sure the deceased is, in fact, deceased. Dwight kicks open the coffin and pumps Esther's body with buckshot. Oscar can't take it any more and flees.

Back at the office, Pam insists to her co-workers that they shouldn't give Packer the satisfaction of eating his cupcakes. They reluctantly agree. Packer apologizes to Meredith for sleeping with her. Meanwhile Kevin is facing serious temptation over the cupcakes, but Pam bucks him up. Packer says goodbye and the reveals in a solo interview that he sabotaged the cupcakes, filling them with various drugs. He's out for retribution. With Packer gone, the staff feels like it's okay to eat the treats. Andy is soon slurring his speech; Kevin almost throws up. Pam avoids hers and when she comes back the next day, the staff tells her how they all were sickened or stoned. She starts to throw her cupcake away, but Kevin intercepts her. He's had a crazy night of partying with Andy - and is ready to eat some more. At Athlead in Philadelphia, we see Darryl and Jim meeting with Packer. Unaware that the cupcakes are laced, they graciously accept Todd's peace offering.

With the casket in the ground, the family heads to the main house and watches a farewell video from Aunt Shirley. She complains how disappointed she is with everyone. Still, she agrees to leave her three kids her farm, if they agree to move back home. Dwight's in - but he can't quite convince Fannie and Jeb. The farm life lacks sophistication, they tell him. Zeke chimes in: he wants in. Dwight cajoles his siblings further; Fannie agrees.

A little while later, everyone, including Esther, is outside on the porch making music. During a song, Dwight drops a pair of crows' beaks at the feet of Esther - signaling his desire to court her. Following tradition, Esther reciprocates by crushing the beaks with her boot. Love is apparently in the air at Schrute Farms.

Later that night, Dwight takes Fannie's boy with him on his rounds to pluck the hens' eggs and milk the goat. The city slicker boy is pathetic in Dwight's eyes, but thinks that if his sister is moving back to the farm, he may actually be able to make something of him. The next morning Dwight, Fannie and Jeb walk the property. Looking over the 1600 acres, Jeb and Fannie are daunted by how much work lays ahead; they both opt out of managing the farm. But Dwight, with a broad smile on his face, is so in.